GA Lawmakers approve school safety measure

Photo: MGN Online

ATLANTA (AP) - Public schools in Georgia could soon need to receive a threat assessment every four years under school safety legislation passed by the General Assembly.

Passed late Tuesday, the legislation also says public schools must conduct yearly violence and terrorism response drills. It allows for a new position called “school safety coach” and creates an app with which students and others could report suspicious activity.

Republican Sen. John Albers said previously that the goal of the legislation is to identify problems before they happen. Albers said he spoke about the bill with parents from Parkland, Florida, where 17 high school students and staff were killed by a gunman in February 2018.

Critics worried that the legislation would criminalize behavioral issues that should be dealt with by the school.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.